Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson is intent on returning to the form he displayed in 2011 before a fractured fibula ended his season.
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And he expects to shoulder the same old workload next season, even if it comes at the expense of a teammate.
Already well into his comeback effort, Jackson said Friday he wants to be the Bills' featured back next season, even if it means sidelining C.J. Spiller.
"He's (Bills coach Chan Gailey) definitely got some thinking to do," Jackson told the Buffalo News. "You know that's what he does. He's an offensive-minded guy, so it'll be interesting to see what he does. ... I expect to go back to playing the way I was. We'll see. (Spiller) made plays. He's a playmaker, without a doubt. But I also felt like I did enough to show what I'm capable of doing."
Spiller, who ran for 446 yards and three touchdowns in six games after Jackson went down for the season, is adopting a similar mindset.
"If that's what they want me to do, then that's what I have to do," Spiller said of the prospect of starting the 2012 season on the bench. "It's like having a diamond in the rough on the sideline."
Jackson's abridged season also put his contract situation up in the air. He had lobbied for a new deal, but talks between the running back and the team have yet to start.
"Like I said, I'll just put faith in (general manager Buddy Nix) and see what happens," Jackson said. "But the sooner it happens for me, the better for myself."
